


in the end she is there

by sapphire_child



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Community: then_theres_us, F/M, Ficathon, Regeneration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-13
Updated: 2010-07-13
Packaged: 2019-01-27 23:38:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12593112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphire_child/pseuds/sapphire_child
Summary: “D’you want me to stay?”“I always wanted you to stay,” he says and his voice is soft and weak. “But we both know that would have been impossible.”





	in the end she is there

**Author's Note:**

> Written for challenge 42 on then_theres_us ficathon.
> 
> Prompt: Thirteen/Rose - It's the end of the world (and you came back to me)

“Doctor?”

Her hand trembles against his cheek and at her touch he opens his eyes. They’re sort of grayish and a flood of relief sweeps through her when she sees the recognition in them.

“Hello,” he blinks up at her, a silly little smile on his face and Rose grins back, her eyes watering like crazy.

“Hello!” she returns, laughing even through her tears. “Long time no see.”

“Yeah,” he agrees before wincing a little. “Been busy – you know?”

“I bet.” Rose smiles down at him fondly before glancing around. “So. End of the world huh?”

And it’s stupid but at her words he can’t seem to help but grin. Rose notices that there’s a gap between his front teeth. “You look,” he tells her. “Amazing.”

Rose pushes her hair back, embarrassed. “I got a bit old.”

“Well, me too,” the Doctor says wryly before realising, with delight, “We match!”

“We do,” Rose nods, goofily solemn and then catches her breath as he reaches up and touches her cheek tenderly.

“You came back,” he says, and there is so much love in those three words, so much awe and respect that he may as well have just declared his undying love for her without even saying it at all.

“Can’t get rid of me,” she smoothes his lank hair out of his eyes.

“Never could,” he agrees. “Funny. You and me, we always seem to find each other at the end of the world don’t we?”

“Yeah,” She smiles, eyes wrinkling in the corners now with the first signs of ageing and he thinks she looks so beautiful that he just has to tell her so.

“You already said that but thanks. You know you’re not so bad this time around either,” she admits with a small laugh-sob and a wink. She pets his hair absently as she observes, “Still not ginger though.”

“Never will be now,” he says softly and her lip trembles suddenly and violently. “Oh Rose…”

“I’m so happy to see you again,” she says with another laugh-sob. Burying her face against his cheek she breathes him in and then shudders out an exhale. “God, I’ve missed you.”

“You’ve had me all this time though.” His hands are clumsy as he tries to embrace her. Dammit all to hell, what he wouldn’t give for some motor control right now. “You’ve had him.” A horrible thought occurs to him and his hand 

“Yeah.” Rose exhales. “I know. I know I have.” She breathes him in. Exhales again shakily. “Doesn’t mean I didn’t always love you too. My Doctor. My lonely Doctor.”

 

 

A sigh pushes its way out of the Doctor’s tired lungs, relief and gratitude all in one breath. “Are you happy?” he asks and it’s not out of guilt that he wants to know. He  _wants_  her to have been happy.

She touches her nose to his cheek and then pulls back just enough to kiss him softly, gratefully, chastely.

“Yes,” she tells him finally, crying in earnest although she can’t really remember starting. Her tears fall onto his face and she laughs through tears. “I’m happy. We’re both happy.”

He smiles weakly, crookedly. “I’m glad.”

Rose nods and sits back, lips trembling uncontrollably now. “Y-you found somebody?”

His eyes are very far away when he answers. “Eventually. So many of them now…so many…

“I’m glad,” she echoes his earlier words and he looks up at her in surprise. “I’m glad you weren’t alone.”

“You can still be lonely even in company,” the Doctor says wearily and then reaches feebly for her hand. Rose takes it firmly and squeezes. “But not anymore,” he continues softly, grey eyes warm even as they filled with pain. “No more. I’m almost finished.”

Rose scoffs. Shakes her head. Smiles her denial. “Don’t say that. You’re gonna be fine.”

“Not this time,” he tells her flatly. “I’ve run out of regenerations. This was the last me and it’s dying. No way out this time.” 

“No,” Rose denies but tears drip down her nose all the same. “No but, you can’t!”

The Doctor laughs.

“Shut up!” Rose snapped but there was no bite in her words. “Don’t you laugh at me! You can’t die!”

“Can’t I?” he says with some amusement. “Why not?”

“Because…” she is surprised to find herself struggling for a reason .“Because…you’re  _you_.”

And, “Oh Rose,” he says fondly. “My Rose.” He squeezes her hand feebly and she grips back even tighter. His eyes are sad and so very old and, “Everything dies,” he says finally, quietly. “Even me.”

“But if you die…” she trembles at the thought. “Who’ll look after the universe?”

“My companions,” he says simply. “The Children of Time – all of them scattered throughout time and space. They’ll continue on in my stead. Just like you did.”

There is some comfort in that for him and so Rose swallows back her sobs and huddles in a little closer. “D’you want me to stay?”

“I always wanted you to stay,” he says and his voice is soft and weak. “But we both know that would have been impossible.”

“Maybe not impossible,” she manages a smile and he manages one back. “Bit unlikely.”

“We always were very good at impossible weren’t we?” he says with a smile cut short by a wince. Rose grips his hand. Hard. Eventually though, his eyes fall open again and she’s struck both by the oddity of the situation and the paleness of his eyes. “You know,” he whispers and she has to lean down to hear him. “I never thought in a million years you’d outlive me. Look at you – still surprising me, three regenerations later!”

Another laugh-sob from Rose and for one moment he looks so blazingly happy that he seems to shine with it, golden bright and then…

“Rose  _Tyler_.” He says, with all due reverence.

And the light of him dulls and flickers into darkness.


End file.
